Folding apparatus to make longitudinal and/or crossfolded products are known; usually, a folding former, for example a folding cone or folding triangle, has one web, or several superimposed paper webs applied thereto. A cutter cylinder, operatively associated with a needling and folding or tucking blade cylinder receives the first longitudinally folded web or webs, and cuts it/them into predetermined lengths. A second longitudinal folding apparatus is coupled to a folding jaw cylinder, associated with the needle and tucking blade cylinder. The circumference of the needle and tucking blade cylinders may be so dimensioned that they can accommodate four cut lengths of the severed web or webs. A cutter and needling cylinder may be associated with the needle and tucking blade cylinder for delivery of products which are folded longitudinally only once. The diametrical relationship of the cutting blade and needling cylinder with respect to the needle and tucking blade cylinder may be, for example 3: 4.
The referenced German Patent 25 17 000 is directed to a folding apparatus of the above-described type. It can be used for 8-page machines and, especially, for 16-page machines. The apparatus does not make it possible, however, to provide a cross fold on folded products which have been cut twice at the circumference, for example to provide half-folded sheets, in which the fold is transversely across the longer side of the sheet. Typical sheets which are to be folded in half have a dimension of the metric standard size A4, that is, 21.times.29.7 cm or, for example 81/2".times.11". These sheets are to be half-folded, to the dimension of the metric standard size A5, that is, 210.times.148.5 mm or, for example, 51/2".times.81/2". In either case, the cross-fold should be along the longer side of the smaller, folded sheet. The smaller folded sheets, for example of the metric standard size A5, or 51/2".times.81/2", is frequently used for mailing, for example to fit standard 6".times.9" envelopes. The apparatus described in the aforementioned German Patent 25 17 000 thus is limited with respect to versatility of folding and maximum possible productivity of the folding apparatus cannot be achieved.